A grasping cup, obstetric bonnet, or ventouse cap are some of the names given to the devices used in the field of obstetrics. These devices use a suction cup to assist in the vaginal and operative delivery of newborns. Typically, the suction cup is applied to the fetal scalp during the second stage (pushing through the birth canal) of labor. The obstetrician then applies traction to the infant's head via a flexible or rigid shaft with a handle coupled to the suction cup. The traction is applied in an outward fashion while the delivering mother pushes, thereby assisting in the delivery of the newborn. These suction cups are typically made of silicone, rubber, vinyl or other plastic, or combinations of plastic and rubber. Suction is generally applied through suction tubing which is coupled to a nipple on the vacuum cup, the nipple communicating with the interior of the cup. The method by which the suction is produced can vary from large stationary mechanical vacuum/suction devices to hand-held pumps similar to those which are used to bleed brake fluid from brake lines of automobiles. The suction cup has been reported to be safer than forceps and is intended to more gently ease a baby from the womb than forceps.
Suction devices can also be used to manipulate tissue during surgery. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,196,003 to Bilweis discloses an endoscopic surgical instrument which includes a tube with a suction cup at one end and a bulb at its opposite end. The cup is placed on a target tissue and the bulb is compressed and released in order to apply suction to the tissue. The tissue is released by again compressing the bulb.